Power Surge Starts Deep in Red Sox Lineup

The Boston Red Sox’s record-setting home run streak on Saturday was started by a most unlikely candidate.

Donnie Sadler’s first major league home run was the first of Boston’s American League-record four two-out homers in a seven-run fourth inning as the Red Sox defeated the Tigers, 9-4, at Detroit.

Mo Vaughn hit two homers and Darren Lewis and Nomar Garciaparra also connected for Boston.

Sadler, the Red Sox’s No. 9 hitter, was batting only .161 with two RBIs when he hit a three-run homer off the left-field foul pole.

“I was excited,” Sadler said. “I’m not a home-run hitter. I got a little more excited when I got to the dugout and my teammates were really happy for me. Everyone congratulated me and made me feel real good.”

Sadler’s go-ahead homer came on a 3-2 fastball from Frank Castillo (2-6), who then gave up Lewis’ fifth homer.

“Those balls were set on a platter, and they did what they’re supposed to do,” Castillo said. “[Sadler] is the one that turned everything around. I had two strikes on him and didn’t put him away.”

Garciaparra hit his 16th homer on reliever Dean Crow’s first pitch, and Vaughn hit his 25th to give the Red Sox a 9-3 lead.

“The main thing is you’ve got to hit mistakes,” Vaughn said. “If people make mistakes, you better hit home runs. Guys sat up there and took some good swings and the ball carried for us.”

The four two-out homers broke the AL record of three held by six teams, the latest by Boston against Seattle in 1977. The major league mark is five by the New York Giants against Cincinnati in 1939.

“I was part of a game in Toronto when I was managing there when we hit 10 in one game against Baltimore,” Boston Manager Jimy Williams said. “Four in one inning is awful special. We scored those seven runs with two outs, so that was big.”

It was the seventh four-homer inning in Red Sox history and the first since 1980 against Milwaukee at Fenway Park.

Two natives of Michigan pitched for the Red Sox.

Steve Avery (7-2), from nearby Taylor, won his third consecutive decision in front of several family members and friends. He allowed four runs and six hits in six-plus innings.

“It’s nice. I had a lot of people here,” Avery said. “It wasn’t the prettiest win. That was a team win. We scored a lot of runs and played good defense.”

Derek Lowe, from suburban Dearborn, pitched the last three innings for his second save.

Castillo, winless since May 15, gave up seven runs on seven hits, including three homers, in 3 2/3 innings.

Tony Clark and Damion Easley homered for the Tigers.

Texas 9, Tampa Bay 8--Luis Alicea had a one-out sacrifice fly in the 10th inning at Arlington, Texas.

Alicea lifted a fly ball to left off Esteban Yan (4-3) to score Fernando Tatis, who singled and advanced to third on Mark McLemore’s single on a hit-and-run play. Tim Crabtree (4-0) pitched a perfect 10th for the victory.

The expansion Devils Rays have lost 14 of 16.

Texas tied the score, 8-8, in the ninth against Roberto Hernandez. Will Clark had a two-out single and pinch-runner Tom Goodwin scored from first on Ivan Rodriguez’s double that bounced over third baseman Bobby Smith’s head.

Tampa Bay took an 8-7 lead in the top of the inning on Randy Winn’s run-scoring single and Wade Boggs’ RBI triple off John Wetteland.

Juan Gonzalez had two run-scoring doubles to end a nine-game streak without an RBI. Gonzalez, who leads the majors with 103 RBIs, hadn’t driven in a run since July 5.

New York 10, Toronto 3--Bernie Williams, sidelined for more than five weeks because of a sprained right knee, homered and singled twice as the Yankees won at Toronto.

Williams, activated from the disabled list before the game, scored three runs and drove in two. Tim Raines hit a grand slam as the Yankees avoided their first three-game losing streak since the first three games of the season.

Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez (4-2) pitched seven strong innings. The Yankees took advantage of Toronto’s season-high five errors and kept pace with the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates for the best record in major league history after 91 games (68-23).

Juan Guzman (4-12), who leads the AL in losses, dropped his third decision in a row despite allowing just one earned run in six innings.

Carlos Delgado homered in the second for the Blue Jays, while Mike Stanley and Ed Sprague hit solo shots in ninth off Mariano Rivera, who had not allowed a homer in 33 2/3 innings this season.

Cleveland 15, Chicago 9--Brian Giles had five RBIs and Travis Fryman hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning as the Indians blew an eight-run lead before regrouping at Chicago.

Giles went four for five, hit his first career grand slam and set a career high for RBIs as the Indians ended their losing streak at four games. Cleveland had five homers, including a two-run drive by Jim Thome in the ninth.

Cleveland, which led, 8-0, after three innings, broke a 9-9 tie with three runs in the eighth against Matt Karchner (2-4).

Paul Shuey (2-1), who gave up a game-winning homer Friday night to Robin Ventura, got the victory.

Seattle 8, Kansas City 5--Alex Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning at Seattle as the Mariners won their sixth in a row.

With the scored tied 4-4, Rodriguez homered to left off Scott Service (3-2) after Rico Rossy opened the inning with a double and Joey Cora walked. It was his 29th homer, second most in the AL behind teammate Ken Griffey Jr.’s 39, and his second in two games.

Griffey went three for five with three singles but didn’t hit a home run for the fourth consecutive game.